


You Got a Friend in Me

by aberdeenqueen22



Category: Brave (2012), Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: F/M, Jarida - Freeform, RotBTD
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-31
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-05-10 15:01:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 17,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5590645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aberdeenqueen22/pseuds/aberdeenqueen22
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>PLOT: Modern Jarida High school AU. Merida is not having the easiest time in high school, but it changes when she meets Jack the new student who has a surprising interest in her, and she'll have to wait and see if this change is for the better, or the worse.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Alright guys, here is another Jarida Story from yours truly. I find that the angsty stories are the most intriguing and with good writing can keep you reading and wanting more. I’m personally writing this fic because I love dramatic fics and I’m in the mood for some angst. The title I didn’t really think about and kinda made on the spot so if any of you have ideas for a new title let me know. Hope you enjoy and please tell me if this is a yay or a nay.

Rrrriiiinnnnnggg! The bell screamed signaling lunch. Great, Merida thought, another day through the battle field. Lunch was never quite easy for Merida. She was always the one who sat alone. She never had that many friend throughout her life, and since her two only friends, Hiccup and Rapunzel, had both moved away last year it brought the total of her friends down to a zero.  
She was used to it by now. She smiled to herself thinking of the two, and how both timid as they were, were the only ones who could handle that personality of hers. She frowned, but then they moved away.  
Her freshmen year wasn’t the best, it was the year she had moved from Scotland to a town called Burgess across the sea. She was taunted for being a forraner, and had people mimicking her accent or laughing at her hair. Hiccup and Rapunzel were they only reasons she’d go back every day. She wondered why she even bothered now, but her mother would never let her change schools just because she was ‘uncomfortable’ at this one.  
The move was for her dad or mom’s work, something like that. They both worked at some wealthy company and were both powerful assets to their work. Merida scoffed, not powerful enough to have to stay in Scotland. They told her it was good for the family, they’d be making even more money, and that everything happens for a reason. She didn’t bother much with reasoning’s for anything, and didn’t even care about the money. People always came up with excuses, or would never get to the point. It was why she prided herself with being straight forward.  
Nobody seemed to admire it but herself and Hiccup and Rapunzel. That was of course before the moved. She walked out of her math class, saying good bye to the teacher, Ms. Tooth. She always had a soft spot for the outcasts and therefore was always kind to Merida.  
She was suddenly shoved from behind and the impact caused her books to be knocked from he hands. “Hey!” she shouted before kneeling down to pick them up. “Woops,” could be heard leaving a group of girls mouths as they tried to hold back there giggles.  
Merida scowled and watched they girls turn the corner. “Off with ya’!” she shouted after them but they were already gone. Merida looked down to her text book and noticed all her notes had spilt out. “Just my luck…” she mumbled to herself.  
“See you later- wooaah!” A boy’s voice could be heard from behind Merida before he walked right into her and tumbled to the floor. Groans could be heard leaving both the boy and Merida’s mouth “Watch were yur goin’!” Merida snapped as she rubbed her now sore side.  
She looked up to see a boy with hair so blond you could say it was white and icy blue eyes that seemed like daggers “I could say the same thing to you…” he mumbled before getting up and brushing himself off.  
He looked down to her for a moment before saying “What are you doing on the floor anyway?” Merida scoffed “Well if ye’ haven’t noticed I’ve seem’d to have dropped somethin’,”  
“No need to get nippy, I wasn’t the one serving as a road block,” he retorted as he crossed his arms. Merida studied the boy for a moment. Had she seen him before? He must be some newbie or else he wouldn’t be talking to her. “Well, I wasn’t the one off in la la land who can’t pay attention to what right in front of ‘im,”  
Merida saw his features turn angry before he knelt down and started picking up her scattered notes. When he was finished he shoved them into her hands “Don’t let it happen again,” he said before he stood and began to walk away. This confused her entirely. Hadn’t she just insulted him?  
“What’s your name?” She called out after him before she could stop herself. Without stopping or turning around he answered “Jack. Jack Frost,” and turned the corner, leaving her alone in the now deserted hallway.  
∞  
“Jack, wait up,” Eugene. He ran up from behind and gave him a slap on the back “What gives? Why were you so late for lunch?” Oh right, Jack remembered, he was supposed to meet Eugene straight after he got out of physics. Oh well. “Sorry I just ran into… er, something,” Eugene looked at him curiously “What?” Jack knew he wasn’t leaving unless he supplied an answer.  
“Well it wasn’t really a ‘what’ but more of a ‘who’.” He watched curiosity spark in his friend’s eye. “Who was it? Was it a girl? It was a girl, wasn’t it? Was she cute?” Eugene bombarded him with questions as the two made their way down the hall to their lockers. Jack thought about this. He actually had no clue who this girl was. Shit, why didn’t I ask her name? He was new to the school and had barley seen half the people who went here, let alone be able to know who they were, and yeah, he guessed he could say that she kinda, sorta was cute.  
Of course he didn’t tell his friend what he really thought. Instead he answered with, “I actually have no idea who she is, haven’t seen her before,”  
“Well let’s see if I can enlighten you,” Eugene replied. The two then made it to Jacks locker and he was turning the combination in “Well for starters, she had blue eyes, was a ginger with this insanely curly hair-” He’d opened his lock by then and used hand gestures to abbreviate ‘curly’.  
“Whoahoahoa, hold up, did she have some sort of accent?” Eugene had interrupted him then nervously asked the question. Jack thought for a moment and the pulled out his bag from his locker. “Yeah, why?” He spun his lock and slammed the door. Meanwhile Eugene shook his head “Trust me when I say that you do not want to be hanging out with her,”  
Jack looked confused and the two started to walk out of the school and started down the street at the sound of the dismissal bell. “Why, who is she?”  
“Merida Dun’something. Listen, she’s just some loner with a temper, has no friends, I don’t even think anybody likes her let alone wants to breath the same air as her. Take it from me. Being around her will bring your reputation down drastically,”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Well for starters I used to date her best friend, until she moved, me and Merida hadn’t even really talked that much but what I heard of her she was some loud and clingy Scot who never knew when to shut up,”  
Jack could care less about his reputation, he’d always had popularity sort of thrust upon him. He suddenly grew angry at his friend “If you hadn’t even really talked to her or gotten to know her what gives you the right to put a label on her from what you’ve ‘heard’?”  
Eugene was taken aback by Jack response “Woah, chill out, I’m just saying it how it is,” Jack rolled his eyes. He was pretty sure he was done talking with Eugene. Jack turned the corner of the street that led to a dead end. Beyond that dead end was the tree line to the woods that bordered the street.  
“Where are you going?” Eugene called after him. “Away!” Jack shouted back and blended into the tree line, making his way into the forest that, little did he know, was on the edge of town.  
∞  
Fuck. Jack cursed. He’d actually been cursing for the past 45minutes. He’d been wandering the forest for about an hour. He was hopelessly lost and had no one to blame but himself. He shivered. The sun was going down and the evening chill was setting in. If he couldn’t find a way out of this damned forest by the time it was dark, he’d have to spend the night.  
Jack had tried to retrace his steps over and over again but that proved to be of no use whatsoever. A sudden burst of anger erupted and he kicked a tree. He needed to get that out and the only thing standing between him and his home were these damn trees.  
Wait! The trees! Jack looked all around him, trying to find a big tree with easy branches. There. He ran over to a tall tree with a thick trunk. The branches were low enough and if he could just make it to the top maybe he could see which direction the town was in and he could make his way home.  
He dropped his back pack to the side and jumped up to grab the nearest branch. He had to use the trunk to help get his feet up and as he did so he noticed several notches in the trees trunk. They weren’t that deep and they looked unfamiliar, almost like they were from a hatchet but not.  
He shrugged it off, maybe they were just from some animal. Jack brought his feet up and began to climb. Climbing was easy for him, in fact he loved it. He use to climb trees all the time. Why did he ever stop? Oh right, he remembered, his family told him it was time to ‘be serious’ or ‘aren’t you getting too old for this?’ Jack frowned at the thought but grew excited at him nearing the top. One more branch and…  
Jack lifted his head up from the branches that concealed his view. He realized he was in one of the tallest trees and that it would be no problem… to see… the town… oh no. Jack looked over the forest a second, third, and fourth time, but the town couldn’t be seen anywhere. How far had he walked?  
Just before he was about to yell nonsense for the whole wilderness to hear, angry shouts, along with loud thumps could be heard on the ground below. Curiosity masked Jacks anger, and he began to descend the branches in hopes to find out what the hell that was.  
He was a few feet above the lowest branches when he spotted a red ball of fury running at the tree and swing a sword. As soon as he saw that hair he knew exactly who it was. Geez, Jack thought, Eugene wasn’t lying when he said she had a temper. Every time the sword wedged into the trunk she’d pull it out and swing at it again. “Errrraaagh! What the hell does she know what’s best fer’ meh’?!” Angry shouts were heard coming from Merida. She continued to mumble swears, half of which seemed to be Scottish.  
Jack couldn’t help but smile and shake his head in disbelief. He stood on the end of a branch to get a better look at her attacking the tree. Not once in his life had he seen a girl take her anger out like- like that! And in the middle of nowhere! What was she even doing out here?  
Jack leaned even further out on the branch he stood, to get an even better look. The branch began to creek uneasily, like it was stretching too far, but before Jack could move it was too late and the branch snapped under his weight.  
He cried out as he fell, hitting braches on the way down and unable to catch himself. Right as he reached the lowest of the branches, which were about seven feet above ground, a hole in his pant leg caught and Jack was left to dangle upside down in front of a fuming Merida.  
At first she jumped back and screamed “Bloodied hell!?” But then Jack saw her features turn to confusion and rage “Wut tha’ hell are ya’ doin’ out here?!” Jack struggled with his pant leg, just out of reach of it “Trust me, I wasn’t planning on it,” he answered as he continued to struggle “were ya’ spying on meh’?” she demanded, not caring about his distress.  
Jack looked to her unimpressed “Don’t flatter yourself, now if you wouldn’t mind helping me down?” he said as he tried to free his pant leg. After another failed attempt he let himself hang there, waiting for a response. It was now Merida’s turn to be unimpressed “Ya’ know ya’ never did say please,” Jack watched as she picked up her sword and began to approach him “Now stay still…” she began a brought he sword back, ready to swing.  
“What are you- oomph” Jack started the question nervously, who wouldn’t if they were about to have a sword swung at them, but instead of hitting him she hit the branch that his pant leg was caught on. It snapped on impact and made him fall to the ground, his shoulder hitting the dirt with a thud “Fuck…” he groaned as he grasped his shoulder. Merida seethed the sword at her hip and began to walk away “Yer’ welcome!” she called back.  
Jack picked himself up and brushed off his clothes before grabing his bag “You know, I can see why you don’t have any friends!” he yelled after her. She stopped and spun around “And where did ya’ hear that!?”  
“A friend,”  
“Well he’s a liar, all of ‘em are liars!” she spun around and continued to walk away. Jack was left speechless. He was about to fume away in the opposite direction of her before her remembered, I have no idea where I am.  
“Ugh...” he began before calling out “Wait up!” he ran after her but she showed no sign of stopping “What now?” she asked sharply. Jack was now trying to keep up with her as he answered “Listen red-”  
“Don’t call meh’ red,”  
“Ugh, just listen, I’ve seemed to have, er, misplaced myself-” Jack was cut off by a sharp laugh “That’s a laugh, I wonder, how long ‘ave ye’ bin’ wandrin’?”  
“An hour or so,” Jack answered simply. There was no response and the two kept on for a few moments. Merida finally answered “Makes sense, seemin’ as though yer’ ‘bout two clicks frum the town,”  
Authors Note:(For those of you who don’t know, a ‘click’ is also known as a km from where I’m from)  
“Oh,” Jack mouthed the word. Had he really gone that far? Suddenly another thought occurred “So, what are you doing out here?” Jack asked “Except of course attacking a tree,” a smile crept onto Merida’s lips which Jack caught a glimpse of before it disappeared “If ya’ must know,” she began “I live out here,”  
“In the forest?”  
“No ya’ idiot! I have a house out here,”  
“Well great, you can lead the way,”  
“Excuse meh’?” She stopped dead in her tracks and Jack had to turn to face her “You’re leading the way to your house?” Jack questioned. Merida scoffed “You are not coming to ma’ house!” Jack frowned deeply and tilted his head “No” Merida answered deadpan. “All I need is a phone call,”  
“No”  
“Bu-”  
“No”  
Jack let out a deep sigh and started to walk in the opposite direction Merida was heading. “What are ya’ doin’?” she asked, obviously confused. “Oh, just heading back to town,” he continued to walk and then turned to face her “it would be great though if you could point me in the right direction,” there was a moment of silence.  
He pointed in a random direction that he began to walk in while still facing her “Maybe it could be in this direction,”  
“Jack”  
“Or Maybe in this direction,” He pointed to another area that he began to walk towards.  
“Jack”  
“Or just MAYBE-”  
“JACK!” Jack looked at her and answered in the most innocent voice he could manage “Yes Merida?” she glared at him “You can come to ma’ damn house if yee’d stop talkin’!” Jack made it to her side with a mischievous grin plastered on his face “Lead the way,”  
∞  
The two had been walking in silence for about ten minutes now. Merida didn’t really seem like she was in the mood for a conversation. The sun was down so it was dark, and extremely quiet, but only for a few moments before Merida took in sharp breath and began to speak “Now, when we get there, yur’ in and out. You can use the phone but then you’ll be out on tha’ door step waitin’ for a ride, understood?”  
Jack scoffed “Yes sir,” a low growl could be hard from Merida who might’ve said something more, but the two erupted into a clearing that seemed to be the end of a drive way that led to a house. A house was an understatement.  
The ‘house’ that stood before the two was actually a very large mansion, built from cobble stones and iron gates. The main color scheme was gray and had bulky wooden front doors and garage. The drive way was huge and in the center was large fountain that was off at the moment. Jack let his eyes fall on the tallest peak of the home which was a tower with a decent sized balcony One could say that it was reminiscent to a castle.  
Jack stood there gaping and Merida smirked at his reaction “What? Never seen a ‘ouse before?” Jack remained gaping and slowly shook his head “This, this is not a house, this is a castle,” he looked at her and smirked “One fit for a princess,”  
“Ugh,” she rolled her eyes and continued up the drive. The two finally made it to the door which Merida swung open with ease. It creaked loudly and then was slammed shut after her and Jack stepped in. “Muuuummm! I’m Home!” she yelled into the large boot room. Jack was surprised that her voice echoed due to the size of it.  
Suddenly laughter could be heard and three boys that were nearly identical came rushing into the boot room, several candies and sweets in hand. Bfore they ran out they noticed Merida and Jack “Whose that? Yer’ boyfriend?” One of them asked and all three snicker. Merida looked annoyed “ ‘Course not! He was just some baka’ lost in the woods,”  
“Sure he wus,” one of the boys retorted, his mouth full of a Danish “Errgh,” Merida seemed to be at a loss for words and the boys were now running out of the room. She yelled after them “You’ll all get fat if ye’ keep eating that!”  
“Not as fat as you!” one of the boys called back. Merida just picked up her shoe which she threw, but missed. “Boys!” a stern voice yelled fallowed by mumbles and hasty footsteps “I swear, it’s like taming wild animals! Merida dear you called?” A woman with long straight brown hair wearing a green shirt with yoga pants walked into the room. She looked tired before she spotted Jack and her face lit up “Oh, and who may this be?”  
“Just some baka’ who got lost in the woods, he came to use the phone and then he’ll be leaving,” Her mother gasped “None sense! What is yer’ name dear?’ she asked Jack expectantly “Jack,” he answered. She smiled and answered “Well Jack, any friend of Merida’s is always welcome-  
“He’s not ma’ friend” Merida interrupted “Oh, Hush Merida!” her mother snapped “Don’t be rude,” Jack decided he should maybe intervene, “I actually should get going…” But Merida’s mother proved to be persistent “Don’t be daft, supper will be on in twenty minutes and it really is gettin’ late, I’ll just give yur’ parents a ring and I’m sure you can stay,” She turned the corner and disappeared from sight but yelled after the two “I’ll be in the kitchen and we can call yer’ parents whenever, in the meantime make yerself at home!”  
Jack turned to face Merida who looked severely pissed off. He just smirked “And what is it we’ll be having?” Merida groaned and rolled her eyes and she started to approach a large stair well “Jack trailed after her “Let’s go exploring, shall we?”  
Merida scoffed “Let’s hope you find you find yer’ way into the dungeons,” Jack was slightly taken aback “No need to be rude,” What was this chicks problem? He thought. Time to do some investigating. The two had climbed the stairs into a large common room with a bar and kitchenette. A large flat screen T.V was planted on the wall above a fireplace. Just this living room alone seemed to be worth a million dollars.  
“So...” Jack began “What exactly does your family do?” He couldn’t help but be curious of how rich this girl was. Merida walked over to the kitchenette and pulled out a bottle of iced tea “You hungry?” She asked before closing the fridge “I’m fine,” Jack waved her off and she shut the fridge.  
Merida leaned against the counter and sipped her iced tea, she swallowed and began to speak “Fer’ starters ma’ mum is the VP of some powerful stock holdin’ company, ma’ da is only a bit below her, also close friends with the CEO,” she took another sip and put it away. She started to walk down a long hallway and shouted “You can watch T.V or whatever…” she trailed off and opened a door at the end of the hall which she slammed behind her.  
Jack eyed the very large flat screen and then the hall. Although the flat screen was tempting, it was time to investigate. When he reached the large wooden door it opened into a smaller room that held nothing but I spiral staircase that seemed to go up forever. The stair case wasn’t anything special, compared to the other fancy features of the house, just a simple metal frame really. This must lead to the tower, Jack thought.  
Jack debated whether he should actually go up there or not, but nonetheless he started up the steps. Upon reaching the top he was met by another large wooden door. He grasped the handle and swung it open. The room was a bed room which was painfully simple. It held a large queen size bed with a chest at the end of it. On the far end of the room there was a glass door that led out to a balcony which had nothing on it. On the floor was a rug with Celtic designs on it. Next to a fire place was a small book shelf which held a bow and an empty quiver, the sword Merida had earlier, and about five leather bound books.  
At the foot of the fire place sat Merida who was poking at it needlessly before she turned around to face Jack. “What do ya’ think yur’ doin’ in here!?”  
“Hello to you too…” Jack mumbled as he walked into the room and closed the door behind him “Don’t suppose yur’ planning on making yerself comfortable?” Merida stood and placed her hands on her hips. Jack smirked and eyed her bed. “Of course not,” he said and them jumped onto her bed, making himself entirely comfortable. She rolled her eyes and muttered “unbelievable…” Jack just smiled and watched her storm over to the bed side. He looked up at her and casually paced his hands behind his head. “Can I help you?” he asked innocently.  
“Get out of ma’ bed!” she demanded. Jack just moved around to make himself snugger, but he felt something hard beneath the pillow. He sat up and moved the pillow aside, beneath it was a journal. Merida made a move a snatch it away but Jack grabbed it before she could. “What could this be…?” Jack asked waving the book around teasingly. “Jack,” rage filled her eyes “give me back that journal…” She didn’t raise her voice but the anger welling up inside her was irrefutable.  
Jack just smirked and opened it up to a random page “Dear Journal…” he began to read out the writing on the page but was suddenly halted by Merida who quite literally jumping on him and began tackling him for the journal. “Give it back!” she yelled. Jack was taken aback at first by how strong she actually was but little did she know he had tons of wrestling practice with his little sister and this was nothing to him but child’s play.  
The two fought each other for a minute, rolling around on the bed before they feel off, Merida hit the ground first and it gave Jack just enough time to steady himself and pin her down. “Let meh’ go!” she demanded and struggled hopelessly. Jack only used one arm to pin her and the other to grab the journal, flipped to a random page, and begin to read out loud for the both of them.  
“Dear Journal…” he began again Merida struggling to escape his grasp and telling him to stop meanwhile. “Today our class had a basketball game, I won scored most of my teams baskets sine half my team is made up of people who’ll get out of breath trying to make it up the stairs,” Jack laughed and looked at Merida who was glaring and still squirming beneath his weight.  
“I can tell we’re getting to the good part, now, where was I, oh right, ‘The win didn’t really mean much to me but I can tell it didn’t seem to make the other’s happy. After school was out I crossed the football field to wait by that patch of trees that Mom always picks me up at, the thing is though, she’s always late on Wednesday’s. It wasn’t long before Astrid and her friends showed up. She went on about them being ‘better’ then me or some crap like that, I don’t take their shit that often so I came up with some remark that involved swearing and her getting angry,” What was this? Jack thought. He was honestly more intrigued then he was wanting to torment Merida so he read through the writing without reading aloud.  
…I don’t take their shit often so I came up with some remark that involved swearing and her getting angry.  
Next thing I knew her friends were on me. They ripped my bag off me and tugged at my hair. The one of them kicked me I the knee and I feel to the ground, each of them held one of my arms, forcing me to keep kneeling while I watched Astrid pick up a rock and slowly walk over to me. When she finally made it over to me she smiled before took a swing at me with the rock which hit me right below my left ear. I hit the ground and they walked away laughing. Stupid Witch’s. Mom picked me up about ten minutes later couldn’t tell her, it would just make more problems for me. Luckily it was dark and I sat in the back seat, she could hardly see me let alone question what happened to me.  
When we got home I ran inside and locked myself in the nearest bathroom. I hadn’t even noticed I was bleeding. I quickly cleaned it up and did no more on the subject. I just hope I didn’t scar.  
The entrée had ended and Jack looked at the date. It was three weeks ago. Jack then looked at Merida who, he hadn’t noticed, stopped struggling and had a distressed look on her face. She couldn’t look him in the eye. Jack suddenly dropped the journal and forced her arms beneath his knees. She struggled but this time Jack noticed she didn’t try as hard as she had “Let go of me!” she spat, but Jack ignored her and with his free hand he went to grab her chin.  
She shook her head vigorously but he grabbed on to her jaw and turned her head roughly. With his other hand he brushed aside a patch of hair above her left ear and- Oh no. Right beneath her left ear was an unmistakable scar that had a few light scabs. Right where the rock had hit her.  
Jack then got off of her and stood. She fallowed but did so slowly with her head down. There was an awkward moment of silence and Jack attempted to speak “Merida, I-” He was suddenly interrupted by Merida who looked up to him with tears swelling in her eyes “You what!?” she yelled throwing her fists back “You idiot! Do you think I care?! Do you think that I want you to feel sorry for me!? Just go away!”  
Tears were streaming down her face. Merida hated this so much, looking weak in front of some guy she had only met that morning? What was wrong with her?! He just needed to leave, go away and leave her alone like everyone else had.  
“Just go…go…” Merida chocked on her words through her tears. Jack suddenly lunged for ward and wrapped Merida into his arms, holding her in a tight embrace. Merida just stood in shock, not a sound left her mouth only the short breaths from crying. Her eyes were wide open and her arms hung loosely at her sides, she didn’t hug him back but she didn’t struggle either, just stood there in disbelief. One of his arms wrapped around her back and the hand from the other was placed on the back of her head, pushing her head against his chest.  
There were so many things running through Merida’s mind, a main thing being so confused as to why she hadn’t scared this guy off yet, why did he care, and why did she feel so- so safe with her head leaning against his chest? The two stood there for another moment in silence before Merida’s mother could be heard calling from the bottom of the stair well “Supper’s on!”  
Merida let in a sharp breath and pushed away from Jack. She roughly wiped away tear as she said “We- we’d better go,” she struggled fiercely as to not look Jack in the eye. Meanwhile Jack nodded slowly, as if waking himself up from a trance. He tried to answer but no words left his mouth, he was just as fazed about the encounter as she was. So to end the moment the two had just had Jack turned and began to descend the stairs, on their way to supper.


	2. Mischeif

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> !

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, my attempted one shot turned into an intense story and the updates to this won’t be that/so/too frequent cause each chapter is SUPER long compared to my usual chapters. This is my updated chapter to all who are looking for an update. I can insure that this is better than the original. Some things you should now are that I’ll be using Astrid, Elsa, and Ruffnut as girl bullies and various princes as guy bullies and that this is Jack and Merida’s Sr. year at high school. Enjoy!  
> (P.S- for the part where Jack tells Merida about the instructions of the game, that is very important and that scene will get confusing if you don’t know the rules. Fair warning)

Supper was painfully silent. Merida hadn’t spoken to Jack let alone looked him in the eye since their encounter in the room. After diner Jack phoned his mom who had some trouble with directions but showed up nonetheless. At first she was all friendly and in amazement at the mansion but as soon as Jack got in the car and they began to drive away, she let him know haw severely pissed off she was.  
Jack didn’t really care is mom was mad, hardly even payed attention while she was yelling, his mind was focused on something else. Someone else.

 

The weekend was too short. Merida had to deal with that crap with Jack on Friday and now that the weekend was over she’d have to face him at school. Would he even talk to her? She was probably just over thinking this. It was more than certain that she had scared him off and he’d want nothing to do with her, but still… Ugh Merida!  
What was wrong with her?! Why couldn’t she just get this guy off her mind? “Ugh” she couldn’t conceal her emotions to just thoughts and groaned aloud as she made it to her locker. Unfortunately, she groaned just as she passed Eret.  
Oh just wonderful, she thought. Eret said a quick bye to his friends as he approached Merida. Eret wasn’t someone you’d want to piss of, he was huge and bulk, at least a foot taller than Merida, and had a short fuse. Most of the school was terrified of him, not Merida though, to her he was just some great pansy who was all talk.  
Merida opened her locker and tried to ignore the fast approaching brute, but he wouldn’t have any of that. After Merida put her books in her locker Eret slammed it shut and looked down to her as a grin crept on his face. She had noticed that most of the hallway was deserted and anybody left was leaving swiftly, in hopes to not get involved.  
“Can I help yeh’?” Merida asked unimpressed. This wasn’t her first run in with Eret and she’d grown tired of having to ward him off. “No, no, I was just wondering if the rumors were true,” Merida grew confused “Wh- wut’ rumors?”  
Eret smirked “You know, the rumors, I’ve heard that you’re real cheap,” Merida scoffed “Excuse me!?” What rumors were going around now? Merida also noticed the hall was completely deserted. Eret continued “Also heard you gave Phillip a real nice job for a fifty,”  
“Listen, I don’t know wut’ ya’ ‘heard’, but-” Eret suddenly pressed both his hands against the wall, one on either side of Merida. She was pressed against the lockers in between his arms, she couldn’t escape and his breath was so near she could feel it against her neck.  
“Get away frum meh” she began to say but Eret just kept talking “I can give you a real good price,” she tried to shove her way out of his proximity but he just pushed her back in place. He continued “Then again, maybe you can give me a deal,”  
“Give you a deal?!” Merida shouted and scoped the hallway again. There was nobody but her and Eret, and he was way too close for comfort. She shoved him roughly and his head jerked back a bit. “I think you need ta’ get off.” He just chuckled. How disgusting can one human being be? Merida thought to herself venomously.  
“Now!” She said even firmer. He laughed again as if her not wanting him touch her was a joke “You know, you really are such a tease…”  
“Get your hands off her!” A voice interrupted Eret before he could finish. Both Merida and Eret whipped their heads towards the sound of the voice. “Jack…” Merida said quietly. Eret pushed her aside and walked up to Jack, chest buffed.  
As Eret approached Jack it was clear to see that he was near twice the size of Jacks thin stature. “Do you have a problem?” Eret asked Jack. Jack wore a strong glare as he said “You need to get away from her now” Eret seemed like he was about to say something more but suddenly Ms. Tooth walked into the hall way, she looked surprised at first to see them but then furrowed her brow. “All of you need to get into class.” When no one responded she waved her hands in hurried gestures “Now”  
Eret looked annoyed but abided by the teacher’s orders, he shoved Jack lightly before he walked off. “Same goes for you two,” Tooth said pointing back and forth between Jack and Merida then walked away, leaving them alone in the hall. After Tooth had left Merida angrily opened her locker, pulling out a book bag. Jack walked over to her, trying to be subtle about it. She slammed her locker at him approaching but didn’t look him in the eye “Merida-”  
“Don’t” she interrupted. Her brows were furrowed and she wore an angry expression “I don’t need yeh’ ta’ pre’tectin’ me, I can take care a’ me’self,” unbelievable, “Right, cause you had that whole situation under control?” Jack huffed both angrily and sarcastically. “Did too!” Merida raised her voice and turned away from him.  
That couldn’t be it, Jack thought, after what just happened and now she was going to go to class like nothing had happened!? Jack was abrupt to turn away as well but an idea sparked in his mind and his angry scowl turned into a mischievous grin. He reached out and grabbed Merida’s arm. She turned to him with an irritated look on her face “What?” she spat the word at him. Jack only smirked “Well, to me it seems like you’ve had a stressful morning, lots of work, creeps looking over you, so…” Jack let her dangle on the ‘so’ and wiggled his eyebrows.  
“So?” Merida asked expectantly “So, I am taking you for a night on the town,” Merida looked dumbfounded “We’re in school and its ten thirty in tha’ mornin’,” Jack pouted “Well it doesn’t sound as fun when you put it like that,”  
“Yer’ off yer’ nut if ya’ think I’m gunna skip, and with you!?” She began to walk away but he just turned her around “Yes you are,” Merida still was deadpan which caused Jack to frown. “Alright, then,” he pulled a quarter from his pocket “Let the fates decide. Heads your coming with no complaint. Tails, I’ll let you walk away,” Merida pondered this for a moment, there wasn’t anything wrong with a challenge. “Deal,” she said.  
She watched as Jack flipped the coin high into the air and snatched it as it began to fall. He slapped it on the back of his hands and eyed it cautiously. Merida looked over. Tails. “Ha!” she laughed in his face at the victory, but somehow she felt a little disappointed.  
Jack just took in an uneasy breath and looked her seriously in the eye “Merida, I have bad news…” She was confused. Hadn’t she won? His serious face went away and he smiled mischievously “I lied,” she gasped as Jack scooped her up and tossed her over his shoulder. He began running down the hall way to the nearest exit, meanwhile Merida flailed and cried “Put meh’ down ya’ lunatic!”  
“We’ve gone too far to turn back now!” Jack yelled back to her as he busted through the set of side doors that led to the park just outside of the school. They were a good hundred meters from the school before Merida swung her legs to the side roughly and sent them both tumbling. Not that it didn’t take any effort, Jack was stronger than one would think but, there was no way she was going to let him carry her another foot.  
“Are ye’ crazy!” Merida screamed. She felt like she could pull her hair out of her skull. “That depends…” Jack began “Now, am I gunna have to carry you again?”  
“That depends,” She mimicked “do ya’ want ta’ get punched in the face?” He looked her up and down briefly, shook his head with a light smile on his face, and began to walk even further from the school. He called to her from behind him “You can come with me or go back and explain why you were screaming down the hall way,” Merida looked back and forth between the quiet school and the furthering Jack. Her stomach went queasy at the thought of each option. “I mus’ be insane…” she told herself quietly and ran too catch up with Jack.  
‘Nice of you to join,” Jack wore a smug look on his face as she approached “Hope ya’ know that I’m doing this fer ma’self” Jack didn’t respond and kept walking in his set direction. “So…” Merida began to speak again “Where exactly are we going?” Jack just smirked.

 

“Ya’ know, this isn’t exactly ma’ idea a’ fun” Merida complained as her and Jack walked into the town’s large mall “Common’ we just got here. There has to be something you’d like in here,” Merida looked unimpressed “I don’t do malls, I’m not-”  
Jack just grabbed her arm and pulled her into the nearest clothing store. It was a second hand shop and had some of the strangest clothing Merida had ever seen. Her and Jack walked up to the nearest stand which was full of hats. Jack pulled out a large sombrero and placed it on his head “How do I look,” Merida frowned “Like an idiot with a big hat, now can we go?”  
“We just got here,” Jack pulled out a large plastic tiara and placed it on Merida’s head “and princess has to try on some cloths,” Merida glared at him “Jack, if you think…” but before she could finish he already began to walk away down a woman’s clothing aisle and tossing random cloth’s on his arm for Merida to wear later.

 

Jack eyed a seemingly angry Merida but smiled when he saw her go to the men’s clothing section to pick out some cloths for him. Fair game, he thought, most painful outfit wins. He spotted a bonnet that came along with a large Bo-peep costume. That was a necessity. He grabbed other costumes like a dress from the eighties, large fairy wings, and poke-a-dotted onesies. Once he decided that was enough he went over to changing area and was met by Merida, but on his way there he saw another dress, this one was black and slender, and he grabbed it just in case.  
“Pick yer’ poison,” she said as she gestured to the outfits she had laid out for him. He spotted zebra printed onesies and pulled out his poke-a-dotted ones “What a coincidence,”

 

The two of them were in the store for at least an hour. Merida had tried on very thing of his and both made fun of his quote, ‘dazzling choice in fashion’. On the other hand Merida made him wear a pirate costume, with an eye patch, plastic sword, and all. A full body donkey costume (Merida quoted how he was now truly a jacka- Jack had stopped her there), and finally an orange tuxedo with lots of folds and ruffles that went along with Merida’s orange eighties dress.  
Both of them had laughed tirelessly for a majority of their little ‘fashion show’. Merida didn’t actually think that she’d enjoy herself but…  
They both entered separate changing rooms to get into their normal cloths. Merida snickered to herself as she got into her regular cloths and folded the costumes she had worn. After they were folded and she had he book bag in check she swung open the change room door, only to be met by Jack who shoved something black into her arms. “Hey, I thought we were don’ here” she complained. “I’m done, but you need to try that on before we go,” he grabbed her shoulders, turned her around and pushed her back into the change room before he closed the door on her.  
Great, she thought, he gets to make an even bigger monkey out of me. She eyed the black clothing in her hand, what exactly did he pick out. She let it unfold in her hands and let her jaw drop. It was a long sleeved party dress that would end at about mid-thy. It shimmered in the light, why would he pick something out like this?

 

Jack sat on the waiting couch bored. How long did it take a girl to change? Immediately after the thought, the change room door swung open, revealing Merida in the black dress. It was skin tight and hugged her curves delicately, all the mean while she stood there sheepishly as Jack looked her up and down.  
“Well?” she asked Jack nervously. She wasn’t used to wearing dresses and Jack didn’t say anything, he just stared with his jaw hanging open. It took him a moment before he could speak “Yo-” he choked on his words and cleared his throat, pulling his act back together and silently cursing himself for being a little caught off guard “You clean up nice Red” Merida scowled “don’t call meh’ Red!”  
“Whatever you say Red” She groaned and resorted back to the change room and quickly undressed. She tossed the dress over the change room door and yelled to Jack “you’d better put yer’ things bak’” She heard him mumble a faint response as he walked away “And make sure that dress goes first!” she yelled so that he could here. It wasn’t that she didn’t like the dress, in fact she loved it, but that wasn’t something she would admit. Ever.  
Meanwhile she got changed and stepped out of the small room to see Jack at the till but he came back empty handed. “Wut’ wuz’ that about?” she asked. “Nothing. Just letting her know you have some cloths left in the change room,” He gestured for Merida to begin walking and the two stepped out of the store out in to the open halls of the mall “Now,” Jack said “I’m starving,” and as if on cue a faint rumbling could be heard coming from his stomach. Merida laughed “I could eat,” and the two made their way to the food court.  
It was huge and held about twenty food stands and about two hundred more people. Jack and Merida had decided on pizza and ate in silence. When they were finished Jack told Merida to wait as he’d throw away the garbage. He did, but instead came back with a tall bowl of frozen yogurt and two spoons.  
“What’s this?” Merida asked. Jack sat down next to her and placed the yogurt down “This,” he held out a spoon for Merida who grabbed it, “is a game. First one to get brain freeze loses?” Merida eyed him suspiciously “And how do ya’ play this game?”  
“Simple. You ask a question that I answer, if I don’t, I spoon a quarter of the yogurt as fast as I can. You also have to eat up if you ask more than one question per turn. Visa-versa” Merida considered this “Yer’ on Frost!” Jack smiled and began to ask a question “Alright, um…” Jack thought and tapped the spoon against his lips “back story?”  
“Fair enough,” Merida said as she sat back “Well, born n’ raised in Scotland,” Jack gave her a ‘tell me something I don’t know’ expression. She laughed lightly and continued “I’d attended proper boarding schools until grade eight, it wuz ma’ mum’s attempt ta’ make meh’ a lady,” she snickered “lot a’ good that did ‘er. Ana’way, I moved ‘ere in ma’ freshmen year ‘cause ma’ dad got a promotion and his boss thought he’d be more useful over sea’s.” she sighed “It wuz’ always hard, being a foreigner, not knowin’ ana’body, but I did have sum’ friends,” Jack grew curious “Who?”  
Merida smirked “Eat up. It’s my turn,” Jack groaned at him forgetting his own rules on his first turn, but abided by them. Merida positioned herself to face him “Now, tell meh’ ‘bout yer’ family?” Jack smiled and began to speak “Well, you’ve met my mom, and then I have a little sister, Emma, she’s eleven now. The three of us are moved in with my mom’s uncle North until we can find our own place in town. Merida wondered for a moment “What about yer’ dad?” She watched a look of distress pass on Jacks face but he quickly shook I off with a smile “I think you need to have some yogurt,” he pushed it towards her then teased “Not too fast,”  
Merida frowned and shoved the yogurt into her mouth. She winced slightly but shook it off. Jack’s turn. “Now, I would love to hear about those friends of yours,” Merida sighed “Hiccup and Rapunzel,” Wait Rapunzel? Wasn’t that the girl Eugene used to date? Merida continued “We met in tha’ freshmen year, an’ soon enough we were unrepeatable,” she frowned “Until they moved,” she looked down to her lap and played with her fingers before she began to ask Jack her question “So, what of yer’ dad?”  
Jack’s heart sort of stopped. It had been so long since he spoke of his dad, and he tried not to choke on his words “he, uh, he died years ago in a car accident,” there was silence for a moment “I’m sorry,” Merida said suddenly. Jack looked up and attempted to comfort her “Don’t be, it happened when Emma was just a baby, and when it happened my mom sorta lost it, we moved and had been moving around ever since but my mom says she wants to stay in Burgess since we have family here,” at hearing this relief washed over Merida. Wait. Relief?  
Jack let in a sharp breath and started to ask another question a somewhat serious expression plastered on his face “Why do you let them do that to you?”  
“Who?”  
“Them, all of them, Eret, Astrid, you don’t tell anybody and you just live with it. Why?”  
Merida looked very uncomfortable all of a sudden. She reached for the yogurt and shoved a spoonful into her mouth. She swallowed and said to Jack “My turn,” Jack’s heart sank. Why couldn’t she just tell him? “I want ta’ know why yer’ so interested in meh’?”  
“What do you mean?”  
“Wut’ do ya’ mean?! I only just met ya’ a few days ago and so far ye’ stopped Eret for meh’, and are spendin’ tha’ day with me. Ya’ve only been at tha’ school fer’ a week and ye’ already have tha’ girls swoonin’ and tha’ guys wantin’ ta’ be yer’ friend, you’ve had to a’ heard rumors ‘bout meh’ by now but ya’ still want ta’ be around meh’. Why?” Jack had to think about this. She was right, he’d been around her a lot for what little time he’d been in Burgess.  
“I guess,” He began. He’d have to choose his words carefully “It’s just, what everyone sees is this loud, short tempered Scot-”Merida cut him off with a scoff. He just smiled and continued, becoming solemn once again “but, I see this girl who just pushes it all away, who doesn’t care what other’s think or do to her but just fights it and lives with it when she has so much she could give if somebody would just stop and listen,” Jack looked her in the eyes which seemed to glisten, meanwhile her mouth hung open slightly. He had left her speechless.  
Suddenly he broke the silence “She’s also as crazy as her hair,” Merida scowled in an attempt to hide her smile and punched him playfully in the shoulder. Jack and her chuckled for a moment “Alright,” he said “My turn,”  
“Wut now?” Merida whined. Jack smirked “Eugene’s having a party on Friday, you interested?” Merida thought for a moment “Possibly. Now my turn,” Jack looked expectant “Wuz’ that you asking meh’ out” Jack just smirked. He stood up and grabbed the yogurt and shoved the remainder of it into his mouth before throwing it away. Merida let her jaw drop then pursed her lips together.  
Jack laughed “Common’, there’s one more thing we need to try out,” Merida grew confused then looked on her phone briefly. 2:04 p.m. she shoved it back in her pocket and asked “What are you planning now?”  
“Common,” he said again and led her out of the food court to the parking lot. There was a large closed off area where a go kart station was set up “Up for a race princess?”  
Merida grinned “I don’t think ya’ know wut yer’ up against Frostbite” Jack furrowed his brow “That’s a new one,” she just snickered and the two made their way to the small race track. It was twenty for the both of them. Jack and Merida got strapped into two go kart, Merida in a red one and Jack in a blue.  
“Hope yer’ ready ta’ eat ma’ dust Frost!” she yelled to him and revved the engine of the kart “I wouldn’t dream of it princess!” he called back. The kart keeper got in front of the two of them “No ramming the karts, stay inside the pylons and most of all have fun,” he said the last part lamely and waved his hands for them to begin.  
Merida laughed loudly and smashed her foot down on the gas pedal. Her kart went zooming down the track and Jack was left to fallow in her track. Oh no, he thought, no way was he loosing. Jack pushed down on the pedal and drove beside Merida. They were neck in neck.  
She looked over to him and laughed before a frantic expression formed on her face “Jack! Slow Down!” she cried. Jack just laughed “What? Too fast for you!?” she looked irritated “No ya’ idiot! Look out!” Look out? What was she- oh no! Right in front of Jack was a sharp turn, but he was going too fast. There was no way he could slow down. Just as the thought left his mind he went crashing through the pylons and out into the parking lot “Jack!” he heard Merida scream behind him. He brought the go kart to a halt and not a moment after Merida came to a halt beside him.  
“Go!” she yelled “wha-” Jack began to question.  
“Go!” She slammed on the petal and went zooming off into the parking lot. Jack looked behind him to see the kart keeper was running after them, yelling for them to stop. He yelled something else, but no way was Jack hanging around to find out. He slammed on the petal and fallowed in pursuit of Merida. They drove side by side laughing wildly as the kart keeper and now two security guards chased after them.  
“Common!” Merida yelled to Jack and she branched off out of the parking lot to an open field that led to the forest line. The same one Jack had gotten lost in a few days ago. They drove through the field, going over several steep bumps, and halted at the tree line where they began to rip off their seat belts. “Hurry!” they both snickered.  
The three men who were chasing them were almost near and Jack and Merida ran into the shelter of the woods. Jack looked around and- ah, right there. “Fallow me,” he said to Merida. She did so without question and fallowed Jack to a huge tree. He jumped for the branches and hefted himself up. Merida fallowed suit and not a moment too soon. The guards and keeper ran into the woods and now were directly underneath the tree that the two were in. Both Jack and Merida struggled to remain quiet, as an effect of holding in there laughter. Eventually the guards gave up and left defeated. Once they were out of ear shot Jack and Merida roared with laughter.  
“Did ya’ see tha’ look on ‘is face!?” Merida laughed. The two remained like this for a few more moments before they saw the time. If they wanted to get back to catch their rides home they’d better leave. Jack climbed down first. He turned around to the tree and before Merida could protest he weaved his arms around her waist and pulled her from the branches.  
He didn’t expect her to fall onto him so much, and had to struggle to both catch her and not trip himself. At this she snickered, still held tight in his arms, so much so he was practically carrying her, her feet barely touching the ground. He started to look at her features as she snickered. Her eyes squinted, and her curls bouncing off her shoulders. Stray beams of light slipped through the branches and landed on her figure. Jack could have sworn, that at that moment, with her held tightly in his arms, she was glowing.  
To Jack, it seemed like the world stopped spinning, and nothing was around them, and it was only them. Merida must have noticed him starring at her, and that he was still holding her tightly in his arms. Her eyes widened in brief surprise. Her perfectly blue eyes, Jack thought. Why hadn’t he noticed that before? He leaned in closer. Their faces were only and inch apart when Merida cleared her throat “um, Jack...?”  
His eyes widened and the world began to spin again. He set her down and tried to say something but found out that his mouth was incredibly dry. Using all his strength, he mustered up the words “We, uh, we’d better go,” Merida nodded slowly and began to fallow.  
At first the walk home seemed quiet. Not uncomfortable, but quiet. That was until Jack broke the tension with bring up the kart incident a second time, at which Merida snorted at. From there the conversation picked up and the two of them were extremely chatty on the way back, it was almost a disappointment when they got to school and parted ways. But it wasn’t like they weren’t going to see each other tomorrow.

 

The rest of the week went by really fast. It was made up of Jack teasing Merida or them exchanging glances in the hall. Of course they didn’t talk too much, Jack still had lots of friends who most, if not all, disliked Merida. She didn’t have a problem with it though. Jack was her friend and nobody could change that.  
“So Mer,” Jack came up to Merida who was getting ready to leave it was Friday already and Jack had been asking her all week about the party “Are you coming to that party tonight?” this left her throat a bit dry. The truth was, she’d never actually been to a party, and nobody had ever invited her to one. “Jack, I don’t-” Jack interrupted her and struggled to pull something out of his back pack “listen before you answer that,” he pulled out a small bag and handed it to her “I thought I’d give you this,”  
Merida looked at him confused and looked into the bag. She gasped and pulled out the black dress that she had tried on at the thrift store. “Jack, you shouldn’t a’…” she was at a loss for words and only smiled “Say no more,” Jack began ‘but I expect you to be at that party tonight,” He began to walk away and Merida called after him “You can count on that!” and she walked out of the school with a smile on her face.  
But Jack wasn’t the only one who had heard that. Elsa slammed her locker ad turned to her sister and Astrid “Is that Scot actually coming to the party tonight,”  
“Elsa you have to face facts, her and Jack are friends and he’s friends with almost everyone whose going,”  
“Anna you’re not helping,” Astrid spat. She turned to Elsa “So, what are we gunna do about it?” Elsa thought for a moment and smiled “Don’t worry, tonight we’ll scare that loser off for good,” her sister pursed her lips in irritation “Don’t you think you should drop this?” Elsa frowned “Don’t worry about it, I’ll do what I need to and we won’t have to worry about it anymore, you can count on that,”

 

“This party is going to be sick,” Tuff yelled as he walked in Eugene’s house. He carried bags of chip and other snacks for the party and his buddy Guy fallowed, large cases of beer in each hand “The rest of it’s in the truck,” Guy said as he put the cases down on the kitchen table. Jack and a couple of Eugene’s other friends had come to help get his house ready for the party, like getting the alcohol and clearing out valuables and breakables.  
Jack stood on the coffee table and began to string up lights. He looked at Eugene who was moving around the couch. Time to ask him. “So, Eugene,” Jack began. He finished stringing up the lights and jumped down “What Jack,” Eugene asked, only really seeming to care about the task at hand “Hey has anyone seen Kristoff!?” he yelled to the two in the kitchen before Jack could answer. He grew irritated but brushed it off “You wouldn’t care if I brought someone to the party,” Eugene suddenly turned around with a questionable glare “And who exactly would this person be?”  
“Well, Merida actually” Eugene shook his head “Dude-” he was interrupted by Tuff in the back ground “I heard she gave Phillip a job for a fifty,” fallowed by Guy hitting him on the back side of his head. Eugene continued “Listen, I know you’re friends with her but I don’t want her coming to the party, what do you think people are gunna say?”  
“That I invited her,” Jack said firmly “People don’t even have to know, just let her come and act like you had no idea,” Eugene rubbed the back of his neck debating this. He let out a deep sigh “Alright,” he pointed at Jack “but nobody knows I let this happen” Jack nodded in response.  
Unbelievable, Jack thought, sure it was fine that he’s letting her come but all he has against her are some rumors and nothing but some stupid reputation that’ll be threatened. Ugh, well she’s coming and that was all Jack had wanted.

 

As soon as Merida got home she ran up to her room and tried on the dress. It looked just as I had a few days ago, and it was perfect. Here mind then fell on the party and her heart raced, it really wasn’t like her to get nervous but… Ugh, get a grip Mer, it’s going to be o.k. Jack will be there. Jack. She was curious about why he wanted her to go to this party so bad. What was in it for him?  
She ignored the thought and got into pajamas. The party didn’t start until ten so she had lots of time. After she got the dress folded and hidden she went down stairs to get something to eat. She walked into the kitchen to see her Mom reading at the table “Hullo dear,” she said cheerfully. Merida waved to her and grabbed an apple from the fridge which she began to munch on.  
Her mother began to speak again “You know, yer’ brothers went to some sleep over,” she muttered under her breath “feel awful fer’ the woman who ‘as ta’ deal with that…” She took a long sip of her tea “Also, me and yer’ father are going to a cocktail party tonight and won’t be back until tha’ mornin’ so yer’ going ta’ have ta’ be alone ta’night,”  
“Oh…” Merida took a large bite from her apple to try to conceal her grin. This was perfect. She could go to the party tonight and not a soul would know about it. “Gods be good that Blake Pitcher won’t be there,” Merida’s dad walked into the kitchen fumbling with a tie on the suit he wore. “Who’s Blake Pitcher?” Her father scoffed “He’s the CEO of our company’s biggest rival, our boss is hopin’ ta’ make some treaty with’ ‘em” he laughed “Lot a’ good that’ll do us,”  
He then went in to hug his daughter “See ya’ ta’morrow then?” he pulled away from the hug and kissed her forehead “Yer’ leavin’ already?” Merida asked. Her mother finished off her tea and stood. Merida didn’t even notice the green gown she wore.  
Her mother then walked over to her dad and did up his tie for him “Well we have to, the party stars a seven an’ it’ll take us two hours ta’ get there,” She walked over to Merida and kissed her on the forehead “Luv’ you dear, see you soon,” and with that her parents walked away.  
As she finished her apple she watched them drive away. And laughed with excitement, maybe the fates wanted her to go to the party after all?  
For the rest of the night Merida eyed the clock like it was some sort of countdown to dooms day but when it was finally time to get ready she slipped on her dress and did her makeup, which she didn’t put that much of on. But what was she going to do about her hair? She grabbed a ponytail to wrestle her hair up into a messy top knot, meanwhile letting some curls fall at the nape of her neck. She looked to the mirror and nodded in approval. She just hoped it would be good enough.

 

The music was blasting and Jack leaned against the snack table as he sipped on a beer. When is she going to get here? He thought but was interrupted by Eugene who came stumbling over, already drunk. “What are you doing? Go out and talk to people you loner, half the girls here are drooling over you and your just standing in the corner?” Jack took another sip of his beer and swallowed, letting the liquid slip down his esophagus. Before he could say anything to answer his friend they watched the front door open. Along with it came Merida.  
Eugene let a long whistle leave his lips “Say what you will about her but there’s no denying she’s hot,”  
“yea…” Jack answered numbly. He was too focussed on the sheepish Merida who walked into the party. Her hair was done into a messy bun and Jack noticed the curls that lingered on the nape of her neck. Her makeup was simple, and not flashy like all the other girls, and Jack admired that, but her skin tight dress clung to her curves perfectly and delicately outlined her figure.  
It took a moment but she made eye contact with Jack from across the room and smiled sheepishly. Jack smiled back and put down his drink. He was about to walk over to her but two girls surrounded her hand he was suddenly grabbed by the cheeks by a girl who shoved her tongue down his throat. His eyes remained wide open and he tried to step back but she wouldn’t let him leave the forced kiss.

 

When Merida walked into the party she had received various looks from others there but she didn’t care as soon as she her eyes met Jacks. She smiled weakly and he smiled back, but before she could walk over to him she was surrounded by Astrid and some other blond “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” Astrid spat. She looked Merida up and down and seemed to grow even angrier.  
“You know the trash needs to go outside,” the other blond said sharply. Merida scowled “Then wut’ are ya’ still doing in here?” she scowled and through her hand back. She brought it down hard on Merida’s face. The impact made her head jerk to the side and she slowly turned to face the girls again. Before she could do or say anything Astrid piped up “You know he doesn’t care about you,” what was she talking about? “It was all an act, being nice to you, that dress, inviting you to the party,” Merida spoke slowly “Ya’ don’t know wut’ yer’ talkin’ ‘bout,” Astrid scoffed “Don’t I?” and with that she gestured over back to Jack who was now making out with Elsa. Elsa noticed she was staring and smiled wickedly mid-kiss. Astrid spoke up again “Open your eyes hun, he’s just not interested,”  
Merida’s eyes widened and he jaw dropped. It hurt so, so much. Seeing them. It was like a stab to her heart. She chocked on sobs that erupted and her eyes swelled up with tears which she fought to conceal. “I think you should go now, the riff raff aren’t aloud,” the second blond smiled and gestured to the door. Merida just looked at her briefly before she turned to storm out of the house.  
Elsa saw Merida leave sobbing and backed off from Jack. She whipped her lips and as she walked away she called after Jack “We should do this again sometime,” But Jack just ignored her and shoved his way through the crowd to the front door. Upon reaching it he swung it open and ran out onto the front lawn. Merida was almost to her car when he called her name. She paused for a moment and whipped away tears before she turned to face him.  
“What do ya’ want frum meh’!?” she screamed. They were the only ones on the front lawn and the only witnesses were the stars that twinkled overhead. “Merida listen, Elsa kissed me,” Merida pursed her lips and looked like she was struggling between a scowl and a smug smile “Ya’ know Jack that’s wut’ they all say, Oh, it wasn’t ma’ fault, I didn’t do it. People ‘ave nothin’ but excuses, least ye’ could do is fuss up to it,” she turned and stomped away but Jack ran up to her and grabbed her arm.  
She shoved him away “Get yer’ ‘ands off meh’!” but Jack didn’t let go. “Merida, I saw what Ruff did to you,” he eyed the forming bruise on her cheek “Remember what I asked you on Monday? You need to answer that right now, why do you let them do that to you? Why didn’t you fight back?!” There was a harsh moment of silence and Merida glared him challengingly in the eye and said dangerously “It wuz’ because a’ you, ya’ idiot!” Jack’s expression softened and Merida teared up “Ya’ know I ‘ad friends here once, good friends, an’ then they moved,”  
“Ma’ mum wants me ta’ go bak’ ta’ sum’ boarding school in Scotland now that I don’t ‘ave ana’ friend here she has the perfect chance to, so a’ lied ta’ stay, but recently I thought that maybe it’d be better ta’ go bak’, since there wuz’ nothin’ ‘ere for meh” she ripped her arm away from Jacks grasp. “But then you showed up’, and- and I like yeh’ Jack,” she paused and let this sink in “an’ I wuz stupid enough ta’ think that you felt tha’ same” She stormed off to her truck and before she got in she yelled “I’ll be in Scotland by Monday!” and slammed the door.  
Jack ran after her but she began to drive away. He even chased her down the street aways before he ran back into the house to get his car keys from Eugene. He was half way across the lawn when he heard muffled voices “…What about Merida…” wait. What about Merida?  
On the side of the house stood Eric, Phillip, and Naveen. “…So when are we going to do this?”  
“Wednesday. Her mom always picks her up late on Wednesdays and it will be the perfect time to deliver” Deliver? Jack leaned even further against the house to hear well. “So who is it we’re working for again?”  
“Don’t know, he won’t give us a name but he’ll give us five grand each if we can get her to him unharmed and extra if we promise to keep our mouths shut”  
“Sounds good to me, but…”  
“But what?”  
“What about that Jack, they’re together all the time,”  
“That ass hole? Trust me he’s the least of our problems,” Jack leaned in even further but to his distress he slipped and stumbled out into the open for the three to see. Eret looked pissed for a moment but then smiled “Well speak of the devil,” Suddenly Phillip and Naveen came rushing up to his sides and grabbed his arms, and repeatedly rammed him against the side of the house. Eventually they stopped and held him in place.  
Eret positioned himself to face Jack “How much of that did you hear?” he asked “I heard enough,” Jack answered with a scowl. “What are we going to do?” Naveen asked Eret. Jack could tell he was slightly worried by the sound of his voice. Eret continued “We’ll have to take him with us. I’ll get the zip ties...” he began to walk away and Jack grew frantic.  
Without thinking, Jack suddenly spit into Phillip’s eyes. He let go as he lurched back, giving Jack enough time to yank his arm away from Naveen and start off into a run. He had to warn Merida, no doubt they’d be coming for her now that he knew. He was the only one who knew and she was all alone at home, unaware of what approached.

 

Whoa. Talk about a long chapter? This is the updated version of chapter two which I am much more pleased with I might add and I hope you all liked it. Also to Guest who reviewed, you honestly melt my heart and I love your kind words more than anything, and they really do give me so much inspiration, so much so, I’ve decide to finish this fic. And you do not have to apologize for the criticism, if anything I love it because then I know what to fix and/or improve on. There will be one more chapter which I’m hoping to release some time in February. Thanks for reading!  
-Aberdeenqueen22


	3. Chapter 3

Alright guys, I know I left a HUGE cliff hanger so I hope this chapter will make for a satisfying conclusion. I’m sorry if this Chapter is really abrupt or seemingly out of place compared to the first two but I had this idea since the beginning and if there are too many complaints about it I am planning on making room for a sequel if all goes according to plan and if I get some reviews to do so. Need I remind you that before I published this chapter I went through the first two and somewhat redid them. Chapter one isn’t too essential but I highly recommend you read the second chapter over if you haven’t read its updated version, that way this chapter will make more sense.  
…  
Jack’s legs felt like they would fall off at any second. He’d been running through the forest as fast as his legs could take him for about fifteen minutes, but he didn’t care. He had to get there before anybody else did.  
He finally came into the clearing that held Merida’s mansion. He ran through the drive to the front door which was wide open. Oh God, he thought, did they get here before him? He ran through the house yelling “Merida! Merida!” he ran to the upstairs living room, the through the hall way to Merida’s spiral stair case. He ran up it two steps at a time, panting heavily, hoping it wasn’t too late.  
He reached her room and looked around frantically. A huge wave of relief washed over him as his eyes fell on her. She was on her knees looking up to the night sky on her balcony with the door wide open. Jack walked over to her quietly. Just before he stepped onto the balcony he stopped in his tracks, hearing her begin to speak.  
“Dear stars, or, uh, who’evers listenin’, I- I don’t know wut’ I thought, but… I-I really liked him,” Jacks heart lit up “But he obviously didn’t feel tha’ same,” she sighed “Just please, please let meh’ forget him,”  
Jacks heart sank a little then he let in a deep breath “Now why would you ever want to forget me?” Merida gasped and whipped her head around to see Jack stepped out onto the balcony “Jack? H- how’d yeh’ get in here?” she asked as she stood up. He went up to her and grew serious “The door was wide open, but that’s not the point, Merida listen, you’re in danger,”  
“Whut? Danger?”  
“Yes. I overheard Eric and some of his friends. Merida I know this sounds crazy but they are going to kidnap you, I ran the entire way here to tell you” Merida struggled to take this all in and she looked down to the balcony. She suddenly gasped and looked up to Jack “The door wuz’ wide open?”  
“Yeah why?”  
“Jack, I locked tha’ door,” Jacks heart began to race “But that would mean…” Jack and Merida turned around to see Eret, Phillip and Naveen waiting in her room. “Just our luck,” Phillip said “The frostbite decided to show up,” Merida noticed that in Naveen’s hands there was several zip ties and a role of duct tape, and in Phillips hands a bat. Her and Jack were trapped. Jack stood in front of Merida, shielding her “You’d better back the fuck off” Jack threatened. Eret laughed “I don’t think so,” he then made a faint hand gesture, signaling the other two to attack.  
Before they could make it to the door of the balcony, Jack lunged forward and slammed the door in their faces. He ripped off his blue hoodie and knotted it around the handles, sealing the three brutes inside and leaving Jack in a white T shirt.  
He turned his head around to check on Merida who was climbing over the railing of the balcony. His heart raced even faster at the fear of her falling “What are you doing!” the words left his mouth in a panic. Merida looked back to him with an irritated expression, but something in her features let Jack know that she was just as scared “What? And stay here?!” even in the midst of the crisis Merida was still able to drawl out the sarcasm in her tone. She continued to climb down the balcony to the roof below.  
Jack turned back to the door and saw Phillip readying the bat to take a swing at the glass. They’d be on the balcony in seconds and Jack was not waiting for that. He quickly followed suit of Merida who had already dropped to the roof below and was running across it.  
It was a very large roof to go along with it’s even bigger home, so Jack had enough space to sprint after Merida who was peering over the edge of the roof against the furthest side of the balcony. Jack caught up to her and they were both panting at the sudden boost of adrenaline and the fact they were running for quiet possibly their lives. “What’s the plan?” Jack asked in-between short breaths.  
“Plan!?” Merida screamed, obvious to her panic “the balcony’s all I got!” the loud sound of shattering glass erupted from behind them and they watched in horror as Eret, Phillip, and Naveen rush out to the balcony. Phillip turned his head in their direction and pointed, shouting “There they are!”  
“Jack, wut’ are we goin’ ta’ do?” He looked to her eyes that were glistened over, her voice hurried and panicked. It showed a sense of vulnerability in her. A vulnerability that he didn’t like. Before he could answer her the sound of heavy footfalls from the other side of the roof erupted. Merida looked around and eyed an antenna wire that stuck out from the roof she didn’t hesitate to grab it and hold it up in defense like how she was holding her sword when she was attacking the tree. The three brutes had them cornered on the edge of the roof in no time, with nothing but the antenna Merida held to protect them.  
“So…” Eret began “What’s it gunna be? You come with us or,” he eyed the edge that Jack and Merida stood inches apart from “You can take the quicker route off the roof,” Merida seemed to hesitate she lowered her make-shift sword and took a step closer to Eret, but Jack noticed that she still gripped it tightly. Phillip suddenly spoke up “So you decided to be a good girl?” a smug grin upon his face. Merida took in a deep breath “Don’t plan on it,”  
As quickly as she had said the words, Merida swung the antenna in her hands and swiped it at Phillips feet. He cried out in shock as he lost his balance from the antenna impact, and went tumbling down the angle of the roof. Unable to catch himself, Phillip tumbled right off the low angled side of the roof, and fell to the ground below, moaning at the bottom.  
They all stood in shock of what just happened, and Jack used this to his advantage. “Merida! Run!” he leapt forward and tackled Naveen to the ground. The two rolled for a bit, but Jack would not give up “Run!” He screamed again, and you didn’t have to tell her twice. She made a sprint to get to the other side of the roof and as far from Eret as she could. He soon made chace but his huge lumbering statue was no match to even attempt to out run the much smaller and swifter Merida.  
Naveen reeled back, along with his fist and brought it down hard on Jacks jaw. Even if it hurt like hell, Jack swallowed the pain and sent a punch of his own to Naveen’s gut. Naveen clutched his stomach and tipped off of Jack. Jack made it quickly to his feet and was followed by the slow moving Naveen. Jack lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Naveen’s abdomen in attempt to bring him back down.  
Naveen stumbled, and cried out as he fell back. Jack let a quick victory smirk onto his lips but it was short lived, because when Naveen fell further down the edge of the roof, Jack realized that he had pushed him right over the edge, and was being pulled along with him.  
…  
Merida tried her absolute hardest to not trip or stumble, the slightest mess up would give Eret just the advantage he needed. They had done at least ten laps around the entire roof. She looked over to Jack when she heard Naveen let out a fierce cry, and gasped at seeing both him and Jack fall over the side of the roof. She turned back to see Eret still trying to grab her. Merida stood her ground and held up the antenna that was still in her grip.  
Eret seemed to gain speed the closer she got to her and right before his hand could get a hold of her wrist, she made a swift side step and from behind made a stabbing motion towards Eret. The antenna hadn’t pierced Eret’s skin like she had hoped, but instead snagged on his cloths. He fell forwards onto the roof with the antenna. At Eret hitting the roof, face first, the sharp end of the antenna stabbed into the shingles and held its place, pinning him down and giving Merida enough time to run towards the edge of the roof.  
“Jack!” she screamed, praying that somehow he was alright “Jack!”  
“Over here!” when she heard the response it felt like a tsunami of relief would burst from inside her. She ran towards the source and got down on hands and knees to peer over the edge of the roof. Jack had been dangling on the edge, his fingers barely gripping it. Merida saw, to her horror, which beneath him was the three story drop tat Naveen had fell. She could see the faint outline of Naveen, laying in a motionless on the ground.  
She had to look away, because between that, Jack dangling for his life, and a possible abductor struggling to get to her, her emotional state felt like it was walking atop a thin line. Instead she looked into Jack’s eyes, those familiar icy blue eyes that seemed so familiar and yet so comforting due to the situation. “Jack! Grab ma’ hand!” She reached her hand out to him, only to hear Eret roar behind her. She turned quickly and saw he was gripping the antenna. At any second he would be free and would be coming for her.  
She reached out her arm again “Jack! Com’ on!”  
“No! Merida there isn’t much time” She flinched at the sternness of his voice. His gazed veered of the left to a second balcony only a story down from the roof. Jack could never make it, it was too far off, so why would he even suggest it? “You see that balcony? I need you to grab my hand Mer, and come down. I’ll swing you over to it and you can call the cops,”  
“Jack are ya’ crazy!” she screamed. Eret roared again and she looked back to see he was almost free. “It’s our only chance!” Jack yelled at her “You have to trust me Mer,” there it was. That nickname again. There was something about the way he said it, the way it rolled off his tongue. It just made her heart race even faster, but told her it was going to be alright at the same time.  
Absent mindedly she nodded and let him grab her hand. She made her way cautiously into a dangling position next to Jack and held his hand. Merida looked to him for more comfort, for him to tell her that it was going to be o.k all over again, but instead he just nodded and she let her fingers slip from the roof.  
She fell briefly, but was caught by the hand that Jack held. Jack cried out at the stress in trying to support the weight of both himself and Merida. He felt like an elastic band that was being stretched too far, and would snap at any moment, but he willed himself to not let go, and that was a promise.  
He looked down at Merida who stared back with big round eyes “I’m going to swig you to the balcony, Alright!?” She nodded in response and let Jack swing her back and forth. It wasn’t long before they had enough momentum built up and since the balcony was maybe only two meters away from where they were hanging over it, the toss worked out better than hoped. Merida let her fingers slide from his grasp and held her breath as she fell through the air. She knew that at the rate she was falling she’d miss the balcony so in mid-air she reached as far as she could possibly manage.  
Jack held his breath as Merida fell and swore that time froze for a few moments before Merida stretched her arm out and let her fingers tightly grasp the railing. Jack made a noise that sounded like the mix of a laugh and a cheer. She had made it and the relief to that fact gave him the strength to keep holding on. He was distracted by Merida climbing over the railing to the safety of the balcony. She looked up at him with a huge grin plastered on his face.  
The smile passed and her face change to one of horror. Jack frowned and furrowed his brow, what was she looking at? His question was immediately answered when he looked up to see none other than Eret, standing directly above him. Eret kneeled and wrapped his fingers around Jacks wrists “So long Frost,” and in a swift movement, Eret pushed Jacks hands away from the roof and let go of him, letting Jack fall the three story’s to the ground.  
…  
“Jack!” Merida screamed. She had witnessed the entire thing, Eret peering over the edge, grabbing onto Jack, and pushing him off the roof. Jack fell within seconds, but it felt like so much longer. The worst part was watching him hit the ground. He didn’t move afterwards, and was still and motionless, much like the body of Naveen that lay beside him. Tears threatened to boil over and burn her face but she wouldn’t let them. Eret started this and she would finish it.  
Merida ripped open the door and ran through the house to her bed room. It took her no time at all and once she was there she looked around frantically for her bow “Come on…” she stressed to herself. Where was it? “Ah! Ya’ beaut!” She cried out as she pulled her bow from her closet, along with two arrows “Well, if it isn’t just my luck,’ Merida whipped her head around to see Eret standing in the door frame of the balcony “You should have ran when you had the chance princess…” He began to walk towards her “and now that I got rid of your boyfriend, this’ll be that much easier,” Within seconds Merida nocked and arrow and drawn back, aiming straight for Eret’s head.  
He stopped in his tracks but smiled “You won’t shoot me,” Merida’s scowl deepened “I know for a fact that you don’t have the nerve-” his sentence was cut short by Merida losing an arrow and it piercing the skin of Eret’s shoulder. He looked at it for a moment with wide eyes and a loose jaw before he started to scream. It reminded Merida of a wailing of a child. He took a step towards her and she responded by loosening another arrow, this time aimed at his calf.  
On impact he fell to his knees “You bitch…” he cursed under his breath and looked up to her. She stepped forward and spat the words “You don’t know who I am” at this his expression faltered only slightly and Merida swung her bow right at his head. Eret made a loud oomph then fell to the floor unconscious.  
Merida nodded in approval to herself, taking pride in how easy it was to take Eret down, but it was short lived. All she needed to get to now was Jack. Her heart pounded against her chest as she stumbled frantically down the stairs and through the house to get to the door that would lead her outside to Jack.  
She ran out the front door, the cold air hitting her like a brick wall. Was it this cold before? She thought, but then again, it could always be the fact that her blood ran cold when her eyes fell on Jacks limp, motionless figure. “Jack!” she didn’t even notice that she called his name over and over again as she ran to him. She noticed that Naveen was gone. Must have scurried off like the rat he is, Merida thought.  
When she was near she fell to her knees besides Jacks head and lifted it up onto her lap “No, no Jack! No!” the words barley left her mouth since they were quiet and frantic. She let a hand run through his hair while the other supported his head. He was so cold. So terrifyingly cold.  
Merida reached her fingers to his neck to feel a pulse. Her heart seemed to skip a beat when she felt the slow but steady pulse beating through his veins. “Don’t worry,” she said “I’ll get help” she knew of course that Jack couldn’t hear her but she felt that somehow he appreciated it. She placed his head gently on the ground and ran into the house to call for help.  
…  
“Be careful!”  
“Miss, you need to understand-”  
“A’ don’t need ta’ understand ana’thin’!”  
Jack heard Merida’s voice wailing as he rode along… something. Where was he? What was happening? His vision was blurred but he could see bright lights flashing everywhere, and… and people, running around. It felt like he was laying on a bed that was being pushed. There were people all around him, but through the haze he could see a mass of red hair that was being held back. It was obviously Merida, who wouldn’t stop. All he heard was how she insisted she had to stay with him.  
Jack smiled, or at least, he thought he did. He wasn’t sure if he could move at all, everything just made him feel so dizzy. The bed jolted to a direction which Jack couldn’t decipher and he felt himself slipping away. The last thing he remembered was Merida reaching out, and calling his name, and then being pulled away. He wanted to tell them to stop. He wanted to reach out to her just as much but darkness claimed his consciousness.  
…  
Jack furrowed his brow. His eyes were closed, and one lid at a time he opened them to see where he was. Everything was blurry. He blinked a few times to clear his vision and like a puzzle, piece by piece, the room became more visible. His ears came into check and he heard a slow and steady beeping that seemed to correspond with his heart beat. He noticed a large window on his right that had its curtains drawn, keeping the room relatively dark. There were various items like teddy bears, flowers, and balloons that said ‘get well soon’ and some chairs with leftover coffee cups sitting near them.  
Jack went to sit up but a jolt of pain lurched through his body and he was forced to lay still again. He tightened his fists and was a bit surprised when he noticed that a hand already rested in his palm. Despite the soreness, Jack stained his head to see whose hand he was holding. A girl with bushy red hair lay face down on his bed, holding on tightly to his hand, and breathing slowly, signifying she was asleep.  
Part of him couldn’t believe that Merida had been so worried about him, and the other part of him loved it all the same. He laid back down and squeezed her hand. He didn’t want to wake her up just yet but at the hand squeeze she stirred a little in her sleep and turned her face around and rested it on Jacks stomach. He briefly looked over her face and saw her eyes were swollen and her hair matted to her face, but somehow, she didn’t look all that bad. She let out a small moan in her sleep, and for a second time Jack smiled, and this time he was sure he didn’t imagine it.  
…  
Jack woke to the sound of muffled speaking. His head stirred and he was not willing to attempt to get up just yet. Instead, he tried to listen in on the other’s speaking.  
“When is he supposed to wake up?” He could tell that was his mother, worry woven thick into her voice. “We don’t really know… he’s in a comatose state right now, it could be days, weeks, months…”  
“But he has to wake up! He just has too!” Jack new instantly that this voice belonged to his sister. She spoke through sniffles that made it obvious she had been crying. “Emma, keep you voice down,” his mother scolded than went back to the doctor “isn’t there anything you can do?”  
“I’m sorry but all that can be done is being done,” his mother was solemnly quiet afterwards “If you’d excuse me…” the doctor said. Jack heard foot prints and the opening and closing of a door. The doctor was gone and as far as he could tell, his mother and sister were the only ones in the room. He waited a moment to build up the strength to speak, and said warily “What was that about…?” Sharp gasps left both the females mouths and he heard the patter of Emma’s feet running to his side.  
Jack slowly turned his head to look at her and upon eye contact Emma shrieked “Jack!” she hopped up the bed side and wrapped her arms around Jacks neck “Easy, easy…” Jack pleaded. The hug from his sister left him sore and as if on a rescue mission, his mom pulled her away from suffocating Jack. Jack looked up to his mom and smiled. She had tears welling up in her eyes. It was obvious that she was speechless.  
She reached down and pulled her son into a hug that lasted minutes. When she finished Jack swallowed drily “So…” he began “What did I miss?”  
Suddenly, the sound of a cup dropping and bouncing off the floor erupted into the room. The small family whipped their heads around to see Merida standing in the door frame, a small plastic cup besides her on the floor, it contents leaking out on the polished tile. Jack and Merida made eye contact. She stood there with her mouth agape like she wasn’t believing what she was seeing. Jack in turn, made a small grin and much like his sister had earlier, Merida ran towards Jack to wrap him into a hug. But unlike his sister, Merida literally jumped on top him.  
At first Jack was taken aback. His eyebrows were arched and deep breaths left his mouth in surprise, but the deep breaths turned into light chuckles as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, if that was even possible. Jack was at such bliss holding her, burying his face into her hair, and feeling her breathing into his shoulder that he forgot about his mom and sister entirely. Until of course his mom cleared her throat “We’ll, uh, we’ll go get the doctor” She began to walk away with Emma in toll.  
As they left the room he heard Emma whine “But I want to stay with Jack…” Jack laughed lightly then turned back to Merida who, to his somewhat discomfort, began to pull away. She still sat on top of him but moved back to his legs so that he could sit up and they’d still be face to face. Jack looked her over and smiled “Wow Mer,” Merida’s heart fluttered. There was that nickname again. Jack continued “You look terrible” Merida furrowed her brow and punched him lightly in the shoulder, but was unable to hide her grin “Shove of Frost,” he chuckled lightly but then grew serious “how long have I been out?”  
“Four days” Merida answered “you were said ta’ be in a ‘comatose state’ ar’ wutever that is…” she grew solemn and looked down at her hands “They didn’t think you were ever goin’ ta’ wake up,” Jack reached out and grabbed the hand she fiddled with “I’m here now,” He squeezed her hand in attempts to comfort her then asked “What happened? Last thing I remember is-” his words caught in his throat. The last thing he remembered was waking up to her laying at his bed side. Should he tell her? No, she’d probably get upset he hadn’t told her earlier, so he decided it would be best to hold onto the information “Last thing I remember is falling,”  
Merida scowled and made a low growl “Naveen tried ta’ flee tha’ scene but they caught up to ‘im, Phillip is on tha’ run, an’ Eret” she faltered when his name left her lips “let’s just hope tha’ police nay let him see tha’ light a’ day again” Something in Jack wanted to scold her but he didn’t know the point of it, all he knew was that he was here with her night now, and right now was all that mattered.  
…  
The next few days flew by. Jack recovery didn’t take too long, since the worst that happened were two broken ribs, which in any case would have to heal on their own. Merida was in the hospital for a few days for precautionary reasons but when both her and Jack were dispatched the rest of their ‘break’ was filled with police questioning. They weren’t told much about it, all they knew was that neither Naveen nor Eret knew who they were working for and the information concerning the main person under suspicion was confiscated.  
As soon as they had gotten back to school it seemed like swarms of student piled around them, mostly Jack though. Merida was so used to being ignored that the sudden flock of attention made her extremely uncomfortable. Jack seemed to be handling it well enough.  
Soon enough the days of attention for Merida slimed, and those days turned into weeks, and it went on until nobody could care less. The only bad side to all the extra attention towards both her and Jack is that she never really got to see him that often anymore. She sighed as she reached her locker and fumbled with the lock. As she opened it to put her books inside a piece of paper tumbled to the ground. She moaned and reached down to get whatever it was.  
She noticed that it was folded and pressed neatly, and had no clue what it actually was so she condensed unfolding the slip. In the center of the loose leaf was messy writing scrawled out to spell’  
Meet me at the tree.  
It was so simple yet so confusing. There was only one tree that held any relevance to her and if it was ‘said tree’, then she had a fairly good idea as to whom wrote the note.  
…  
“Well hello princess,” Jack leaned against the tree that Merida would take a swing at whenever she was upset. He wore his signature smirk and had his hands buried deep into his blue hoodie. It was also the place where her and Jack had their first conversation, even if it was more of a dispute. “Frost, I should’a known…” She drawled, somewhat bored but not failing to through some snark into the sentence. “Wut do ya’ think yer doin’ out here?” she questioned as she crossed her arms. He thrusted out of his lean into a standing position and stepped over to Merida. “Oh, you know, see the sights, enjoying the scenery…” Merida just scoffed “Ya? ‘Cause if I’m not mistakin’, you got lost last time ya tried ta’ ‘take in tha’ scenery’,” she waved her hands in emphasis.  
She chortled at her wit and he only fallowed suit by laughing lightly along with her. He spoke suddenly “You know this poor tree that you mercilessly beat every time you have a tantrum?” He looked up into it branches. Merida furrowed his brow, wondering wat he was getting at, and not even denying the fact that she would occasionally attack the tree “Wut of it?”  
“Well, it just so happens to be one of the tallest in this entire forest…” He trailed of and grabbed one of the lower branches and began to hoist himself up onto it. He looked back down to her from the branch “There’s actually not a bad view from the very top,”  
Merida interrupted “What are you getting’ at Frost?” He started to climb higher and looked back down to her “Care for a climb princess? Or are you worried about getting your hands dirty?” She scrunched her nose and said challengingly “In yer dreams,” She went over to the tree and hopped up to get the lowest branch, pulling herself up much like Jack had. She climbed until she was a bit beneath Jack. Why’d ya bring me up here?” She asked annoyed. He just smirked “You’ll have to make it to the top to find out why, now won’t you,” Merida grumbled and muttered something unintelligible under her breath before her and Jack started to climbing the pine again, taking their time.  
Finally they reached a crook near the top of the tree with branches that fanned out from it, making it look like a seat, and giving Jack and Merida enough room to both sit. After about a moment of silence Merida asked numbly “Now wut?” Jack only smiled then stretched out his leg to push a thick branch aside, revealing a view of the large expanse of forest, that glowed orange from the setting sun.  
Jack held the branch in place with his leg so that Merida could see the full extent of the view before them. He looked over to her and saw her mouth slightly agape in wonder, the orange sun lighting up her face. He smiled to himself, then turned back to the view. “Hey Mer?” Jack asked after a moment. She turned to face him “Ya?” she questioned softly, even if her body was turned towards him her eyes were still glued on the setting sun “Why aren’t you in Scotland?”  
She looked at him with big round eyes and struggled to hide a flushed face “well- you know-” the words sputtered out of her mouth. Jack didn’t really take Merida for the awkward type but persisted with a smug grin plastered on his face “because, I think I remember something about you staying because of me?” her expression instantly changed and she furrowed her brow “If you think-”  
She didn’t have time to finish defending herself because Jack leaned in swiftly and pressed his lips against hers. Merida squeaked at the suddenness of it, but then her heart began to melt along with Jacks and she closed her eyes and kissed him back. All past emotions between the two flooded into the kiss and Jack couldn’t help but smile.  
He pulled back for a moment and looked her in the eye “You have no idea how long I’ve been waiting to do that,” Merida started to laugh but with one hand he grabbed the back of her head and pulled her into the kiss again, barely noticing the sun slowly setting past the horizon.  
... I hope your all satisfied with this story and I am open minded about making a sequel if you all have some unanswered questions. Also a shout out to my grood friend Remmi, I hope you know which perfectly ‘straight’ tree I’m taking about.


End file.
